[[Characters]] #Characters \ #Natural-World \ #Landforms # 海 hǎi ocean ## Components [[氵 (shuǐ)]] [[每 měi]] ## Meaning Today, the character "海" primarily refers to the ocean, representing immense bodies of saltwater. It can also symbolize large lakes or expansive water bodies. Additionally, metaphorically, it denotes vastness or abundance, suggesting something extensive or boundless. ## History The character "海" combines the water radical with the phonetic component "每." Originally depicted in ancient scripts as a representation of water with the "每" sound, it evolved into its current form in seal script, where it became more standardized. The core meaning of "海" is the vast ocean. It refers to large bodies of water, such as oceans or expansive lakes, as well as metaphorically representing vastness or abundance, as seen in phrases like "庐海," indicating something vast and extensive. ## Evolution ### Oracular Script ? ### Bronze Script ![[海 hǎi - bronce.svg]] ### Seal Script ![[海 hǎi - sello.svg]] ### Clerical Script ![[海 hǎi - cle.svg]] ### Regular Script ![[海 hǎi - reg.svg]]